Grain-binder



3 Sheets-Sheet I.

A. STARK. GRAIN BINDER.

No, 330,634] Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. STARK.

GRAIN BINDER. No. 380,634. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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A. STARK.

GRAIN BINDER.

Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

PATENT @FFTQE.

. ANDREWV STARK, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

GRAlN-BINDER.

SPECTFL'CATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380.63%, dated November 17,1885.

Application filed September 27, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW STARK, of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull,clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention is a grain-binding machine intended to be attached to a reaping-machine, and it belongs to that class of machines shown in the patent granted to me on the 22d day of March, 1881, and numbered 239,199.

The invention consists, essentially, in the construction of and mode of operating the binder-arm.

It consists, also, in a binder-frame of peculiar construction, which is adapted to slide backward and forward between the side sills of the frame of the machine; and it further consists in certain details of construction,hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the discharging side. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the main frame and parts of the binder-frame, indicating also in dotted lines another position of the binderarm. Fig. 4 is a view of the binder-arm from the discharge side of the machine. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the binder-arm. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of the point of the binder -arm, partly in section, showing the cutting, hold ing, and twisting mechanism therein. Fig. 7 is a view of the same looking from the discharge side of the machine] Fig. Sis a longitudinal section of the point of the binder-arm. Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the same, showing the shell in section and the twisterpinion partly broken to show the concave recess. Fig. 10 is a view of the cutting, holding, and twisting mechanism.

a is the frame of the machine, composed of the longitudinal sills a a, bottom board,'a., and cross-bar which last passes over and across the binder-frame. The main frame is attached to a harvester in proper position to receive the grain discharged and elevated from the grain-platform over an inclined receiving or chute board, a, fixed to the inner side,over which the grain descends to the binder-arm. The outer side of the frame a-is left open, so that the bound bundles may be freely discharged therefrom.

a is a stationary wind-board, serving also as a butt-evener for thebundles, which board stands upright on the front end of the bottom board of the main frame and extends across the same. a is a standard bifurcatcdat its upper end and fixed centrally on the rear end of the bot.- tom board of the main frame a. The standard a has the upper ends of its arms slotted vertically to receive a shaft,hereinafter described.

b is the binder-frame, composed, mainly, of

the longitudinal sills b 1), parallel cross-bars b 5 and yokes and b. The sills b fit between and are adapted to slide backward and forward within the sills a a of the main frame, and are held down to. the same by the cross-bar a The parallel cross-bars I) stand across and are secured to the sills b 1; near the forward ends of the latter,and are arranged to provide between them a passage-way forthe lower end of the binder-arm in its movementacross the frame when binding a bundle. The inner ends of the bars 1) curve upward, as shown in Fig. 3, and they lie against the chute-board a. and provide a support for the binder-platform or, partly shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The binder-platform or receptacle is made with a slot coincident with the space between the bars I) b for the point of the binder-arm to pass. To the rear ends of the sills b is fixed the upright supporting-yoke 6 having its legs inclined upward and inward toward each other.

I) is a similar supportingyoke rising from the sills b at a proper point forward of the yoke 12 The yoke Z) extends higher than the yoke b and both yokcs are provided with bearings for shafts, hereinafter described. The

two yokes are so arranged in relation to the standard a that at whatever point the binder frame may stand in relation to the frame 6 the standard will always be between said yokes,

thereby allowing the forward and backward adjustment of the binder-frame without coming in contact with said standard. Fixed to the yokes or standards b andb is an overhanging'frame composed of the side arms, 6 and the cross-head b, uniting the arms at their tops. The lower ends of the bars 12 are secured to the lower ends or feet of the yoke b and thence run forward and upward, at the same time inclining inward toward each other, and are fastened properly to the legs of the yoke b where they cross them. The crosshead 1) stands transversely across the binderframe, and is in proper position to support the binder-arm over the passage-way between the bars b b All the operating mechanism of the biuderarm and its twister, cutter, and holder is supported upon or carried by the cross-head I). The binder frame, composed of the described parts and carrying the binderarm, is adapted to be adjusted backward or forward in the frame or casing a, to adapt it to grain of different lengths. The butts of the grain inthe bundles are evened by coming against the inner face of the board a The binder-frame is under the control of the driver by means of suit-able connecting-rods, so that it may be adjusted at will for the purpose described. J ournaled in the yokes or standards I) and b is a horizontal shaft, 0, which passes through the slots inthe upper end of the stand ard a and moves back and forth with the movement of the binder-frame b.

c is a sprocket-wheel placed on the shaft 0, between the arms of the bifurcated standard a, which arms hold it in a stationary position in relation to the driving mechanism of the reaper. Said sprocket-wheel is attached to the shaft 0 by a feather, or in such a manner that it gives motion to and at the same time permits the shaft to be slipped back and forth with the movement of the binder-frame b.

0 is a pinion fixed on the front end of the shaft 0, and it meshes with a gear-wheel, 0 on the horizontal crank-shaft c, journaled in the upper part of the standard b and in the crosshead I). On the front end of the shaft 0 is fixed the crank 0 on the pin 0 of which is supported the binder-arm and mechanism for operating the holding, twisting, and cutting devices carried in said arm.

d is the binder-arm, composed of the parallel side bars, (1 d, and the hollow shell or end (P, in which are placed the devices for holding, twisting, and cutting the band. The said shell is properly slotted, as shown in the drawings, to receive the band. The crank-pin 0 passes transversely through the side bars, at, at a proper point in their length through bearings d at said point. The upper ends of the bars d are brought close together above the bearings 1 and are held together by the pin d, which forms a pivot between said ends for an arm, d, one end of which is pivoted by a pin, d to the cross-head b at the outer end thereof. The other end, 9, of the arm d curves downward, passes between the bars (1 d, and

forms a compressor-bar, as hereinafter described. The pivot-points d and d of the arm d are in such relative position to the crank c as to cause the lower end or shell, d, of the binder'arm pivoted to said crank to travel across the frame between the bars b b and just below the binder-platform m, on which the grain is supported, and when the shell has cleared the platform at the outer edge the arm is lifted and carried back above the platform to the inner side, preparatory to gathering and binding another bundle.

e is a curved or concave rack-bar,having one end secured by the pin d to the cross-head b, while its opposite end is free, and stands in such a position as to pass between the bars (1 d of the binder-arm, below the crank-pin a, and engage a pinion, e, which is placed on said crank-pin. e" isa small projection on the free end of the rack-bar, arranged to engage a radial projection, 6 fixed to the side of the pinion e, and give motion to the latter before the teeth of said pinion and rack 6 become engaged, thereby preventing what is termed riding, which sometimes occurs when there is a sudden meshing of a gear-wheel with a rack.

e is a bevel-gear fixed to the side of the pinion 6, and revolving with it on the pin 6. The gear 6 meshes with a bevel-pinion, 6 on the upper end of the shaft e ,which is journaled near its upper end in a lug or projection, e, on the side bar, d, of the binder-arm, while its lower end is journaled in the shell 6?, and is provided on its lower end with abeveled or miter pinion, efiwhich meshes with the twister'pinion 6 within said shell. The twisterpinion e is formed with a hub, 6 which projcctsinto the circular bearing in the face-plate of the shell d and revolves therein. It is held in place by the disk e, to which it is secured, and which lies on the face-plate of the shell and revolves with the pinion. The under face of the twister-pinion is provided-with two lugs, e, in which is journaled the device a for holding the binding-wire, and in its under face is a concave recess, 0, which affords the necessary space for the lever e of the device e to turn upward and over from side to side in the operation of twisting the band. The device e IIO is the same in every respect as the holding and cutting deviceshown in my Patent No. 239,199, above referred to, and operates in the same manner, and, as no specific claim is made thereon in this applicatiomno further description need be given herein.

The construction of the twister-pinion'e", as hereinbefore described, permits the free operation of the device in substantially the same manner as described in my said patent.

f is a check-lever pivoted to one of the side arms, (1, of the binder-arm, and having its lower end extending into the shell, and so constructed and situated that when the pinion c has left the rack e said lever will engage the twister-pinion and hold it from moving while the band is being carried around the grain.

Its upper end is bent, as shown, and is arranged to be engaged by a pin, f, on the arm d, and thereby at the proper moment engage the lower end with the twister-pinion. The lever is held out of engagement with the twister-pinion by a spring, f which throws it back into its normal position when released by the pin f, and permits the operation'of the twister. The curved end '9 of the arm d beyond the pivot d forms, as has been explained, a compressor-bar, which compresses the grain into a compact bundle under its convex side as it descends. It also prevents straw or other material from becoming entangled with the gearing on the pin 0 When a bundle has been bound and discharged from the platform, the binder-arm is lifted by the action of the arm d and the crank 0 the compressor g, of course, also rising through the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and when the binder-arm is extended to the inner side of the binder-platform the compressor 9 is brought down to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, in which position it remains stationary till the binder-arm passes to the outer edge of the platform, and the binding of the bundle is completed. The bundle, as it is drawn across the platform, is pressed down by the curved outer edge of the compressor g, which passes between the bars (1, as shown.

h is aswinging take-up bar,having a suitable friction-pulley, h, on its free front end, near the bars I)", while its rear end is pivoted to one of the bars b of the binder-frame, toward the rear end of the same. The bar h is actuated by the spring if.

z is the binding-wire, drawn from a spool, i, suitably arranged and supported on the binder-frame b. The said wire is passed over the pulley h and guide-pulley i to the holding mechanism in the shell of the binder-arm, as shown. The rack e engages the pinion e, as the binding-arm moves outward, to set the twisting mechanism in the shell d in motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, in a grain-binding machine, of the binder-arm supported upon and operated by a crank,and provided with a hollow shell at its point, slotted to receive the band, a band twisting and cutting device placed within the hollow shell, a rotating shaft supported in bearings in the binder-arm, and having one end geared to the twisting mechanism and the other end provided with a pinion meshing with a bevel-gear placed on the pin of the operating-crank, a pinion journaled on the crank-pin and fixed to and rotating with the said beve1-gear,a concave segment-rack having one end free and the other end made fast to the binder-frame and arranged to engage the pinion on the crank-pin, and a controlling-arm pivoted at one end to the binder-frame and pivoted at a proper point to the binder-arm, substantially as specified.

2. In a grain-binding machine, a frame for supporting the binding mechanism,composed of the sills b b, bars 12 yokes or supports b I), having bearings in their upper portions for the drivingshafts, two side bars, b b having their rear ends secured to the lower ends or feet of the support If, and inclined upward and forward across the sides of the support b, to which they are secured, and reaching over the grain-receptacle, and the cross-head fixed to the ends of the bars 11 b ,and provided with bearings for the actuating crank-shaft and the controlling mechanism of the binderarm in proper relative position to the binderplatform, substantially as set forth.

3. In a grain-binding machine, the combination, with the binder-arm and the controlling-arm d pivoted to the binder-frame and to the upper end of the binder-arm, of the compressor 9, fixed to the end or being an extension of the controlling-arm and passing between the side bars of the binder-arm below the crank-pin, substantially as specified.

4L. Ina grain-binding machine, the combination of the pinion e, journaled loosely on the crank-pin of the binder-arm shaft, and the segment-rack bar having one of its ends fixed to the cross-head b and the other end arranged to engage the pinion e, substantially as specified.

5. In a grain-binding machine, the combination of thesegment-rack bar e, having one of its ends secured rigidly to the frame and the other end provided with a lateral lip or projection, 6 and the pinion e, journaled on the crank-pin c of the binder-arm shaft, and provided with a projection, 6 placed at its side and projecting radially, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, in a grain-binding machine,of the binder-arm d, carrying in the shell d the twisting and cutting mechanism, the controlling-arm d, having the pin f, the lever f, pivoted to the binder-arm, and the spring f substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a grain-binding machine, the combination of the overhanging framework 12 b crank-shaft 0, crank 0 binder-arm d, the controlling-arm d, the compressor 9, extending from said arm and curved downward between the side bars of the binder-arm, the pinions e e, placed on the crank-pin and connected by intermediate gearing with the bandsecuring mechanism in the end of the bindingarm, and the segment-rack 6, arranged to engage with and give motion to the pinion e, substantially as specified.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW STARK.

Witnesses:

T. H. CHURCH, J. L. KING. 

